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Sony PocketStation
The PocketStation is a Memory Card peripheral by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation home video game console. Categorized by Sony as a combination of a Memory Card and a miniature personal digital assistant, the device features a monochrome liquid crystal display (LCD), infraredcommunication capability, a real-time clock, built-in flash memory, and a soundcapability. To use the device's memory card functionality, it must be connected to a PlayStation through a memory card slot. It was released exclusively in Japan on January 23, 1999. Software for the PocketStation was typically distributed as extras for PlayStation games, included in the CD-ROM, enhancing the games with added features. Stand-alone software could also be downloaded through the PlayStation console. The software is then transferred to the PocketStation for use. A built-in infrared data interface allows direct transfer of data such as game saves between PocketStation units, as well as multiplayer gaming. The original Japanese ship date for the PocketStation was set for December 23, 1998, but it was delayed a full month. Sony only shipped an initial 60,000 units of the peripheral when it was released on January 23, 1999. It was initially available in two case colors: white and clear. It proved extremely popular, selling out all over the region. Sony planned to release the PocketStation outside of Japan, engaging in promotional activity in Europe and North America, but the release did not occur.SCEA cited an inability meeting Japanese demand as the reason for the PocketStation's absence. A few games, such as Final Fantasy VIII and SaGa Frontier 2, retained PocketStation functionality in their localized versions.[9][10] The PocketStation's most popular game was Dokodemo Issho, which sold over 1.5 million copies in Japan and is the first game to star Sony's mascot Toro. The PocketStation was discontinued in July 2002 after having shipped nearly five million units. On November 5, 2013, it was announced that the PocketStation would be revived as an application for the PlayStation Vita, allowing users to play PocketStation format minigames for any classic PlayStation games that they own. Technical specifications *CPU: ARM7T (32-bit RISC chip) *Memory: 2K bytes SRAM, 128K bytes Flash RAM *Screen: 32×32 dot monochrome LCD[14] *Sound: 1 miniature speaker (10-bit PCM) *Switches: 5 input buttons, 1 reset button *Infrared communication: Bi-directional (supports IrDA based and conventional remote control systems) *LED indicator: 1 (red) *Battery: 1 CR-2032 lithium battery *Other functions: calendar function and identification number. *Dimensions: 64 × 42 × 13.5 mm (length × width × height) *Weight: Approximately 30g (including battery) * Compatible gameshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=PocketStation&action=edit&section=2 edit **''All Japan Pro Wrestling[14] **Ape Escape'' (Japanese version) **''Arc the Lad III'' **''Armored Core: Master of Arena'' (Japanese version)[14] **''Battle Bug Story''[14] **''Be Pirates![14] **''Boku wa Koukuu Kanseikan **''Brightis'' **''Burger Burger 2''[14] **''Chaos Break'' (Japanese version) **''Chocobo Stallion'' **''Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped'' (Japanese version)[14] **''Dance Dance Revolution 3rdMix'' **''Dance Dance Revolution 4thMix'' **''Dance Dance Revolution 5thMix'' **''Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers'' **''Digimon Tamers: Pocket Culumon'' (Japanese version) **''Dokodemo Hamster 2'' **''Dokodemo Issho''[14] **''Final Fantasy VIII[9] **Fire Pro G'' **''Fish Hunter''[14] **''Gallop Racer 3[14] **Grandia'' (Japanese version) **''Harvest Moon: Back to Nature'' (Japanese version) **''Hello Kitty: White Present''[14] **''Hot Shots Golf 2'' (Japanese version) **''I.Q. Final[14] **Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu[15] **JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' (Japanese version) **''Koneko mo Issyo'' **''Kyro-chan's Print Club''[14] **''The Legend of Dragoon'' (Japanese version)[16] **''Legend of Mana'' **''Love Hina 2'' **''Lunatic Dawn 3''[14] **''LMA Manager'' **''Metal Gear Solid: Integral[17] **''Mister Prospector[14] **''The Misadventures of Tron Bonne'' (Japanese version) **''Monster Race''[14] **''Monster Rancher 2'' (Japanese version)[14] **''Monster World[14] **''Paqa **''Pi to Mail''[14] **''Pocket Dungeon''[14] **''Pocke-Kano Yumi'' **''Pocket MuuMuu[18] **''Pocket Tuner[19] **''Pop'n Music 2'' **''PoPoRogue'' **''Prologue''[14] **''Racing Lagoon'' **''RayCrisis'' (Japanese version) **''Remote Control Dandy'' **''R4: Ridge Racer Type 4[17] **Rival Schools 2 (Shiritsu Justice Gakuen Nekketsu Seisyun Nikki 2)'' **''Rockman Complete Works[17] **SaGa Frontier 2[10] **''Shop Keeper[14] **''Spyro the Dragon'' (Japanese version)[14] **''Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!'' (Japanese version) **''Street Fighter Alpha 3'' (Japanese version)[17] **''Street Fighter Zero 3'' (Japanese version) **''Super Robot Wars Alpha'' **''Tales of Eternia'' (Japanese version) **''Theme Aquarium[14] **Tokimeki Memorial 2'' **''World Neverland 2''[14] **''World Stadium 3[14] **Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories[20] See alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=PocketStation&action=edit&section=3 edit **VMU, a similar accessory for the Sega Dreamcast console (which was released on July 30, 1998 in Japan). Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=PocketStation&action=edit&section=4 edit *#^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-delayed_1-0 Jump up to:a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-delayed_1-1 b''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-delayed_1-2 ''c] "PocketStation delayed in Japan". Future Publishing. 1998-12-09. Retrieved 2008-08-28. "Sony has delayed the Japanese release of its PocketStation PDA from December 23 to January 23, 1999." *#^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-releasedate_2-0 Jump up to:a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-releasedate_2-1 ''b] "超小型ＰＤＡ「PocketStation」１月２３日に発売延期" (PDF) (in Japanese). Sony Computer Entertainment. December 9, 1998. p. 3. Retrieved 2007-10-30. *#^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-press_release_3-0 Jump up to:a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-press_release_3-1 ''b] プレイステーションの楽しみをさらに広げる (PDF) (in Japanese). Sony Computer Entertainment. 1998-10-08. Archived from the original on 1998-10-08. Retrieved 2008-08-28. *#'Jump up^' IGN staff (January 28, 1999). "PocketStation Shortages Rock Japan". IGN. Retrieved 2009-12-02. *#'Jump up^' IGN staff (October 8, 1998). "TGS: Sony's Next Stop: Pocket Station". IGN. Retrieved 2009-12-05. *#'Jump up^' Mark J. P. Wolf (2008). [http://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&pg=PA148 The video game explosion: a history from PONG to Playstation and beyond]. ABC-CLIO. p. 148.ISBN 978-0-313-33868-7. Retrieved 16 August 2011. *#'Jump up^' Commodore Wheeler (May 13, 1999). "Pocketstation Cancelled in the US". RPGFan. Retrieved 2009-12-02. *#'Jump up^' IGN staff (May 13, 1999). "PocketStation Slips Indefinitely". IGN. Retrieved 2009-12-02. *#^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-FF8_9-0 Jump up to:a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-FF8_9-1 ''b] Square Electronic Arts, ed. (1999). Final Fantasy VIII North American instruction manual. Square Electronic Arts. pp. 38–40. SLUS-00892. *#^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-SF2_10-0 Jump up to:a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-SF2_10-1 ''b] Square Electronic Arts, ed. (2000). SaGa Frontier 2 North American instruction manual. Square Electronic Arts. p. 26. SLUS-00933. *#'Jump up^' Fennec Fox (July 19, 2002). "Sony Discontinues PocketStation". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-12-02. *#'Jump up^' GameSpot staff (July 19, 2002). "Sony ceases PocketStation production". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-12-02. *#'Jump up^' 2013-11-04, Play Chocobo World On Vita, PocketStation Is A Downloadable App In Japan, Siliconera *#^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-0 Jump up to:a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-1 ''b] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-2 c''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-3 ''d] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-4 e''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-5 ''f] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-6 g''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-7 ''h] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-8 i''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-9 ''j] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-10 k''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-11 ''l] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-12 m''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-13 ''n] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-14 o''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-15 ''p] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-16 q''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-17 ''r] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-18 s''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-19 ''t] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-20 u''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-21 ''v] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-22 w''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-23 ''x] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-24 y''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-Preview_14-25 ''z] "International Previews: PocketStation". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2''' (7): 80–82. April 1999. *#Jump up^' Genki, ed. (1999). ''Jade Cocoon Japanese instruction manual. Genki. p. 37. SLPS-01729. *#'Jump up^' IGN staff (November 30, 2009). "IGN: New Legend of Dragoon Info". IGN. Retrieved 2009-05-17. *#^ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-1UP_17-0 Jump up to:a''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-1UP_17-1 ''b] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-1UP_17-2 c''] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PocketStation#cite_ref-1UP_17-3 ''d] Parish, Jeremy (2006). "Forgotten Gem: Jumping Flash!". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2008-11-23. *#'Jump up^' IGN staff (January 11, 1999). "Import Watch: Pocket MuuMuu". IGN. Retrieved 2008-11-23. *#'Jump up^' "IGN: Pocket Tuner". IGN. Retrieved 2009-05-17. *#'Jump up^' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXpdivjh_9k *